Special Report
For Barrie-headquartered and Barrie Construction Association (BCA) member Sarjeant Propane, the art of the deal is in the nurturing of customer loyalty through community giving.
For Barrie-headquartered Sarjeant Propane, the art of the deal is in the nurturing of customer loyalty through community giving.
A division of the Sarjeant Company Ltd., a construction fuels and material shop that traces its roots as a family owned and operated company in Ontario to 1889, Sarjeant Propane has a long history of philanthropy that includes a focus on arts and culture.
As such, Sarjeant has worked with the MacLaren Art Centre, a public gallery serving Barrie, Simcoe County and surrounding regions, to support local art initiatives. These include the VanGo and Truck Art programs that have seen Sarjeant working with First Nations artists and youth to bring Indigenous artwork to its truck fleet.
Not only does the program transform propane and concrete mixer trucks into moving works of art, but it also brings Indigenous stories and expressions to the streets of Simcoe, Sarjeant says.
“It’s great to see this artwork out on the road carrying local stories to the communities we serve,” the propane and propane systems supplier, which has helped First Nations communities in northern Ontario reduce reliance on diesel fuel, said in a social media post.
Sarjeant in 2011 teamed with MacLaren to launch the Sarjeant Design Project. Penetanguishene born artist and educator Tim Laurin was commissioned to visit schools and design art with the students to wrap around the company’s concrete mixer drums.
Laurin led workshops with 85 high-school students at five Barrie high schools.
Every May, each of the designs from the participating students are displayed in the MacLaren’s Molson Community Gallery on a “drum roll” that shows the 360-degree designs to best effect.
Designs were transferred to concrete trucks in southern Ontario to create mobile art in southern Ontario.
Sarjeant sales and customer experience supervisor Meaghan Roeck said the art is wrapped around the concrete truck’s barrel so that it rotates as the barrel is turning.
She the Truck Art concept was carried over to propane trucks in northern Ontario with the artwork applied on both sides of the propane barrel.
Two propane trucks have been adorned so far, serving the Fort Francis and Thunder Bay areas, respectively. One of the truck’s art was chosen in a community contest and another in a school contest.
The Sarjeant Truck Art program has been replicated in a fashion by enterprises including B.C.-based Telus Communications Inc., which in 2021 began refreshing its vehicle branding across the country.
As part of the effort, the telecom partnered with local Indigenous artists to tell their stories and highlight art on Telus service vehicles in the Vancouver and Chilliwack areas.
Telus partnered with First Nations artists Xwei’;ya (Deanna-Marie Point) and Fred Jackson to customize design wraps on the vehicles as part of what the company calls its campaign to progress along the path of reconciliation with native people in Canada.
And in west Vancouver, a new fire truck featuring Indigenous art from Squamish artist Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) has hit the streets.
The West Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services $1.77 million firefighting tower truck features Xwalacktun’s artwork on its rear roll-up door and side body sign boards. The art depicts the Lions Gate Bridge, representing the bridging of communities and cultures.
The design features a canoe with paddles up to symbolize peace and respect between cultures.
The truck joined the fleet after a private ceremony combining both Squamish traditions and a fire department ritual.
